I’ll be running my first ‘Escape from Alcatraz’ Tri in June on this year. Just wanted to get any feed back from those who have run the race and/or heard any pointers.
I.e. The swim is hard and you might get eaten by a shark! –or- The Bike is the hard but not as hard as the sand ladder. Race prep pointers. Where to stay in San Fran. Etc….
Thanks!
The swim can be difficult but it can also be really easy. Last year the leaders came out of the water in a bout 20 minutes. The bike is pretty difficult; Be prepared to climb a couple of pretty steep hills. I would leave the tri bike at home. The run also has a couple of nasty stretchs but overall is not to bad. Just take your time up the sand ladder.
BTW - Great Whites do not come into the bay, so the only way you will get attacked is if you drift out the Golden Gate. If that happens you have bigger worries than a shark attack.
I did Alcatraz '04, I’m a MOPer, been racing tris 3 years, here are my impressions.
Smile for all the cameras and fans. Be inspired by the physically challenged that compete in the race, including some blind people. Full wetsuit and cap. Bring your own body marking marker, and share it. The sharks are only bottom feeding scavengers. Listen to what they say about aiming on the swim. Preview the bike course-there are some wicked turns at the bottom of hills that took me by surprise. The sand ladder was bottle necked when I got there-ended up being a slow walk up with all those people there. Much of the run course was trail running, some of it narrow- had to stop and move aside a few times so people the other direction could come thru. General impression as MOPer-too crowded to try to be competitive, was told this numerous times going in so I just kept pace and enjoyed the wonderful course, so I placed 420th instead of 405th, who cares. Stayed at coventry motor inn on lombard street-cheap, walking distance to venue, accepted my bike when I shipped it there, off street parking. Take the Alcatraz prison tour. Swim a few times at the waterfront park beforehand.
Don’t call it San Fran…the natives don’t like it.